蜜芽传媒

A handful of Republican hopefuls have made their points in front of national TV, debating their way, they hope, to the Republican presidential nomination in next year's election.

Donald Trump, the former president and front runner for the Republican nomination, once again declined to participate. His Republican rivals turned on him at the debate.

Lisa James, a republican strategist, told Newsday that the attacks against Trump showed that the contenders are realising that ''they have to set themselves apart from Trump whilst maybe still embracing his policies.''

(Picture shows, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott, and Mike Pence at the Fox Business Republican Candidate Debate held at the Reagan Library on September 27, 2023 in Simi Valley, California. Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)